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Canadian trade officials are meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in Washington once again, as both sides hustle to lock down a crucial trade deal ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s pressing tariff deadline.
Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc’s office confirmed to CBC News on Thursday morning that he and chief trade negotiator Janice Charette will meet with Greer this afternoon.
It will be the second meeting this week between the Canadian and American trade officials, and the fourth in just three weeks.
The two sides have ramped up discussions since Trump threatened to impose 50 per cent duties on hundreds of Canadian goods, on top of sectoral tariffs already in place. Those tariffs are slated to come into effect Aug. 19.
CBC News has learned Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are working on a proposal to pitch to U.S. President Donald Trump before a tariff deadline that could see hundreds of Canadian goods hit with a 50 per cent levy.
As previously reported, sources on both sides of the border say the Americans offered a new proposal on Tuesday which would lower some of the sectoral tariffs but not to the degree that the Canadian side would like to see.
The Americans are also seeking a deal that would see preferential access to Canadian critical minerals and which covers security and energy, the sources said.
CBC News previously reported LeBlanc and Greer are aiming to present Trump with a path to a potential trade as early as Monday.
However, sources also told CBC News last week that the Canadian side has aggressively argued to the Americans that there would be no political appetite among Canadians to keep talks going if the Aug. 19 tariffs come into place.
Those tariffs, according to the U.S. government, are due to a number of trade irritants, including Canada’s retaliation against U.S. trade policy with the removal of U.S. alcohol from provincial store shelves and alleged discrimination against U.S. motor vehicles and dairy.
Also Thursday, Ontario Premier Doug Ford — a frequent critic of Trump — said his message to Americans is “a tariff on Canada is a tax on the American people.”
“Remember when it comes to the [U.S.] midterms, you have to get that bully and send him a message,” Ford said during a morning news conference.
